Pneumatic thread remover for weft replenishing looms



Aug. 29, 1950 R. G. TURNER PNEUMATIC THREAD REMOVER FOR WEFT REPLENISHING LOOMS Filed May 28, 1949 FlG.l

E l2 I." I 35 45 lllll' 5 552' i 6 INVENTOR 20 i 46 RICHARD e. TURNER Patented. Aug. .29, 1950 PNEUMATIC THREAD REMOVER FOR WEFT REPLENISHING DOOMS Richard G. Turner, Worcester, Mass, assignor to Crompton &.Knowles Loom Works, Worcester, Mass, a corporation of Massachusetts Application May 28, 1949, Serial No. 96,083

7 Claims. (CL 139-256) This invention relates to improvements in pneumatic thread'removers for weft replenishinglooms and it is the general object of the invention to provide simple means by which the remover can be held in either its idle non-operating or' operating thread pick-up position.

.A form of pneumatic thread remover already proposed by me employs a tube having a depending lip to engage the thread of the outgoing bobbin and position it for pneumatic attraction as the lay moves rearwardly. The thread extends along the race plate of the loom between the cloth and the shuttle box and is ordinarily supported on a mass of deformable material, such as plush, and the lip when in thread pick-up position extends downwardly into the plush to a position below the level of thethread. The remover tube is lowered by a force derived from the transferrer arm, but experience shows that because offvibration of the loom or rebound of the remover the pick-up lip does not always remain in a low enough position to catch the thread and the latter can under these conditions move rearwardly with the lay without being directed to the intake mouth of the thread remover.

It is an important object of the present invention' to provide simple means by which the thread remover will be held in its low position with the lip "so located as to engage and direct the thread to the intake mouth of the remover. This result as set forth hereinafter is accomplished by the use of permanent magnet means held in fixed position and so located as to hold the remover tube'in proper position to pick up the thread.

It is also desirable to be able to hold the thread remover in its normal or inactive raised position, and it is a further object of the invention to provide other magnetic means to hold the remover in its normal position. The thread remover is acted upon positively by two parts of the loom one of which is the transferrer arm which lowers the remover to its thread pick-up position and the other of which is a regularly acting resetter which returns the thread remover to its normal position as the lay approaches its back center position next following a bobbin transferring operation. It is a further object of the invention to have the aforesaid magnetic means so located that a'single magnetizable armature rigid with the carrier for the remover tube can cooperate with one or the other of the magnetic means to hold the remover either in normal raised or operating lowered position.

It is essential that the remover'when being moved to thread pick-up position shall be prevented from striking a rigid part of the lay and with this end in view it is a further object of the invention to have the magnetic means corre-, sponding to the thread pick-up position of the remover act also as a stop. For this purpose the; magnetic means is preferably secured to a mounting adjustable concentrically around the stud on which the transferrer arm is mounted.

Wijththese and other objects in view which will appear as the description proceeds, the invention resides in the combination and arrangement of mover being indicated in its normal raised or idle position,

Fig. 2 is a view similar to part of Fig. 1 but showing the thread remover in its lowered oper ating thread pick-up position,

Fig. 3 is an enlarged front elevation looking in' the direction of arrow 3, Fig. 1, illustrating the manner of holding the mountin for the magnetic means in fixed position,

Fig.4: is 'a side elevation looking in the direction of arrow 4, Fig. 3,

Fig. 5 is an enlarged 'detailed'section on line' 5 -5, Fig. 3, and 7 Fig. 61s a horizontal section on line 6-6, Fig. 4. Referring particularly to Fig. 1, the loom frame ID has mounted thereon a support I I provided with a pivot l2 for a magazine M which in the present instance is of the rocking type and provided with two stacks of reserve bobbins (not shown). The support H has mounted thereon a transferrer stud l5 held in fixed position and" providing a pivotal support for the bobbin transferrer arm l6 which is normally in raised posi-' tion. Extending laterally from the transferrer arm is a depressing member I! which may take the form of a stud or pin secured to the transferrer arm and having mounted thereon an.eccentric [8 held in fixed position with respect to the stud by a clamping nut l9. The eccentric is capable of adjustment around the stud I! for cooperation with a rearwardly extending arm 20 of. an angularly movable carrier designated generally at 2| pivoted on stud I5 for movement therearound. I i

The carrier has front and back vertical arms 25 and 26, respectively, in which is slidably mounted a rod 21 having secured thereto a collar 28 located between the arms 25 and 25. A com-' pression spring 29 between the front arm 25" and the collar 28 normally urges the rod rearwardly to the position shown in Fig. 1.

The rear part of rod 2! supports a pneumatic thread remover R. comprising a hollow tube the lower end of which is provided with an intake mouth 30.. A thread pick-up lip 3| extends down-ff wardly from the tube behind the intake mouth and is directed forwardly. A p1ate 32 secured to the remover R is fastened to the rear end 'of rod 21. The remover R extends into a hose or flexible tube 35 which connects with some form,

of pneumatic mechanism which will create subatmospheric pressures within the tube, the remover, and at the thread intake mouth 3%.

The lay L of the loom is provided with a shuttle box 36 which receives the shuttle S, and the race plate 31 has extending thereacross a' body -38 of deformable material, such as a pile fabric. The thread of a depleted shuttle bobbin in shuttle S extends from the selvage along the race plate 31 and over the deformable material 38 into the shuttle box. When a weft replenishing operation occurs the transierrer arm i5 is depressed and eccentric l8 engages arm 28 to rock the carrier 2! in a counter-clockwise direction as viewed in Fig.1 to movethe carrier and remover R to their operating thread pick-up position with the lip 3| located below the top of the mass 38 of deform able material and behind the thread of the depleted bobbin. This ordinarily occurs as the lay approaches its front center position, and asthe lay recedes the thread, being frictionally held by the pile fabric 38, is moved rearwardly toward the lip 3i and the latter directs the thread toward the intake mouth to subject the thread to pneumatic attraction. As the shuttle is picked out of the box that part of the thread extending into the shuttle box is released and drawnupwardly into the remover tube. On a subsequent pick of" the loom the thread will be out at the selvage and will be drawn into the remover.

, During the backward motion of the lay immediately following bobbin transfer a resetter rod 39' rises to engage a lifting shelf 40 on the carrier 2| to rock the latter in a clockwise direction as viewed in Fig. 2 and returning the remover R to its normally raised idle position.

The matter thus far described ma be similar to mechanism heretofore proposed by me and operates in the usual manner.

v in carrying the present invention into effect simple means is provided for holding the remover R in its down or thread pick-up position so that the lip 36 will be embedded deeply enough in the pile fabric 38 to be under the thread of the outgoing bobbin as the lay moves backwardly subsequently to a bobbin changing operation. It is also necessary to be able to provide means for holding. the remover R in its normal idle raised position. In order to maintain the remover in the two positions which it may occupy I provide a mounting which may be made of sheet metal preferably though not necessarily non-magnetic. Thelower end of the mounting has a hole 45 therein which fits stud l5, and has a slot 4'! therein preferably concentric with the stud I5 through which extends a screw 48 tapped into the support H. The screw can betightened to hold the mounting in adjusted angular. position around the stud I5. 1

The upper end of the mounting is provided with a pair of spaced stationary permanent magnets and 56. These magnets are similar and each comprises. a body 5'! permanently magnetized and mounted on a stud 58 having a head 59 engaging. the left end of the magnet, see Fig. 3, and extending through the upper part of the mounting l5.and held in position thereon by a lock nut 66.. The ends of themagnet' are of opposite polarity and each magnet is adjustable around the stud ['5 by having its supporting stud 58 ex:

4 tended through a slot El in the mounting 45. Thus, the front magnet 55 can be moved backwardl-y or forwardly on -.;the mounting 45 by loosenlng its lock nut 5i] and adjusting it along the slot 6i until the magnet is in the desired position, after which the lock nut 60 can be tightened. A similar adjustment can be made for the rear permanent magnet 56, each magnet being adjustable toward and from the other and relatively to the mounting 4'5 and in a direction around the stud H;- which provides a common axis for the transferrer arm, the carrier 2!, and mounting 45.

In order that the magnets may control the position of the carrier 21 the latter is provided with an upwardly extending part or arm which may be given a 90 twist to provide an armature 66 between the magnets 55 and 56 which is broad enough to extend across each of them. armature is preferably integral. with the carrier 2'! which is made ofmagnetic material, such sheet steel. The carrier is held in position on the stud it between a collar s1 and a washer at which is held against a shoulder 69 of the Stud ['5 by a nut 19 threaded on the reduce end ll of stud is. The parts are so related that the carrier 2 l is nee to rotate on the stud [5. y

In operation, the thread remover R and parts associated therewith will normally be in the position shown in Fig. l withthe armature 66 held by the permanent magnet 55. When the weft replenishing mechanism operates descent of the transferrer arm IE will cause the eccentric l8" toengage arm as and. reek the carrier 2| to the thread pick-up position shown in Fig. '2, causing. the armature 56 to move rearwardly away from magnet stand move within the range of attraction of the rear magnet 56. Because of tee fe t that the latter magnet serves as a stop and can be adjusted around stud l5 the lowest position which the 11 a: can reach can be adjusted to prevent the up from striking a solid part of the lay. The magnet '56'will hold the remover R in its. correct down position with the lip low enough to pass" under the outgoing thread and. direct it to the intake mouth.

As the lay a proaches its back center position resetter rod 39 will rise and engage lifting shelf it and return the carrier to its normal. raise position, whereu on the armature as will be re established in holding. relation with respect to the front magnet 55 and the remover will be held in its normal idle position until the next. replenishing operation of the loom. It is obvious that angular adjustment of. the mounting made possible by the screw 4-8 permits adjust merit of the magnets around the axis of stud independently of the adjustments which each magnet has because of its supporting stud 58. it will also be seen that for all adjustments of the magnets, their retaining force will be essentially the same since they will be at the same distance from the axis of stud IS in. any of their adjusted positions.

- Having thus described the invention be seen that changes and modifications of the foregoing specific disclosure may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the inven' tion.

What is claimed as new is:

1. In controlv means for the pneumatic thread. remover of a loom having a weft replenishing. mechanism including a bobbin transferrer a carrier for the remover capable of being either innormal idle position or in operating thread pick-up position, a pivot stud for the transferrer arm around which a carrier moves, a mounting on the stud, means holding the mounting in adjusted angular position around the stud,

magnetic means on the mounting normally effective to maintain the carrier in normal position, the transferrer arm incident to a weft replenishing operation of the loom moving the carrier from the normal position thereof to said pick-up position thereof, and other magnetic means on said mounting holding the carrier in said pick-up position.

2. In control means for the pneumatic thread remover of a loom having a weft replenishing mechanism including a bobbin transferrer arm, an angularly movable carrier for the thread remover capable of being either in normal idle position or in thread pick-up position, a mounting, means holding the mounting in adjusted angular position, a common pivotal support for the transferrer arm, carrier, and mounting, the transferrer arm incident to a replenishing operation of the loom moving the carrier from the normal position thereof to the pick-up position thereof, magnetic means on the mounting cooperating with the carrier holding the latter in said pick-up position, and a resetter acting on the carrier subsequent to said weft replenishing operation moving the carrier away from said magnetic means and returning said carrier to said normal position thereof.

3. In control means for the pneumatic thread remover of a loom having a Weft replenishing mechanism including a bobbin transferrer arm, a carrier for the thread remover capable of being either in normal idle position or in thread pickup position, a stud forming a common pivotal support for the transferrer arm and the carrier, a mounting angularly adjustable around said stud, means holding said mounting in angularly adjusted position, a pair of magnetic means on the mounting for cooperation with said carrier, one of said magnetic means normally holding the carrier in the normal position thereof and the other magnetic means capable of holding the carrier in said thread pick-up position thereof, the transferrer arm incident to a weft replenishing operation of the loom moving the carrier away from said one magnetic means into holding relation with respect to the other magnetic means, and a resetter for the carrier operative subsequent to said weft replenishing operation moving said carrier away from said other magnetic means into holding relation with respect to said one magnetic means.

4. In control means for the pneumatic thread remover of a loom having a weft replenishing mechanism including a bobbin transferrer arm, an angularly movable carrier for the thread remover capable of being either in normal idle position or in thread pick-up position, a stud forming a common pivotal support for the transferrer arm and the carrier, a mounting movable angularly around and'supported on said stud, means holding the mounting in angularly adjusted position, a pair of spaced magnetic means on the mounting, a part on the carrier made of magnetizable material located between said magnetic means, and a resetter for the carrier, the transferrer arm incident to a weft replenishing operation of the loom moving said carrier to the thread pick-up position thereof and moving said magnetizable part of the carrier away from one of said magnetic means into holding relation with respect to the other magnetic means, and said resetter subsequently returning said carrier to the normal position thereof and moving said magnetizable part into holding relation with respect to said one magnetic means.

5. In control means for the pneumatic thread remover of a loom having a weft replenishing mechanism including a bobbin transferrer arm, a stud on which the transferrer arm is angularly movable, a carrier for the thread remover angularly movable on said stud capable of being either in normal idle position or in thread pick-up position, a mounting capable of angular adjustment around said stud, means holding the mounting in angularly adjusted position, said carrier having a part thereof made of magnetizable material, and a pair of magnetized stop and holding means on said mounting disposed on opposite sides of said part of the carrier, the latter being held in the normal position thereof byone of said magnetic means, said carrier being moved to the pick-up position thereof by the transferrer arm incident to a weft replenishing operation of the loom, and the other magnetic means servin as a stop to limit movement of the carrier toward said pick-up position and also cooperating with said part of the carrier to hold the latter and the remover in said thread pick-up position.

6. In control means for the pneumatic thread remover of a loom having a weft replenishing mechanism including a bobbin transferrer arm, an angularly movable carrier for the thread remover, a common pivotal support for the carrier and transferrer arm, part of the carrier being made of magnetizable material, a pair of stationary spaced magnetic means cooperating one at a time with said part of the carrier, each magnetic means serving as a stop and also as a holding means for said part of the carrier, one of said magnetic means normally attracting said part of the carrier to hold the latter and thread holder in normal idle position, the transferrer arm incident to a weft replenishing operation moving the carrier and thread remover to thread pick-up position, and the other magnetic means serving as a stop for said part of the carrier limiting motion of the latter and also effective to hold said part of the carrier to maintain the latter and thread remover in thread pick-up position.

7. In control means for the pneumatic thread remover of a loom having a weft replenishing mechanism including a bobbin transferrer arm, a carrier for the thread remover, a common pivotal support for the transferrer arm and the carrier, a pair of spaced permanent magnets held in fixed position with respect to the weft replenishing mechanism, a magnetizable armature on the carrier moving with the latter and located between said permanent magnets, one of said permanent magnets cooperating with the armature to maintain the carrier and the remover in normal idle position, the transferrer arm incident to a weft replenishing operation of the loom moving the carrier and thread remover to thread pick-up position in which the other permanent magnet cooperates with said armature to hold the carrier and remover in pick-up position, and a resetter operating subsequent to said weft replenishing operation moving the armature away from said other permanent magnet into holding relation with said one permanent magnet.

RICHARD G. TURNER.

No references cited. 

